The gloves stayed on for the roughly 70-minute forum as the five men took turns answering a dozen questions submitted by audience members. The only hint of combativeness came when Binetti, the only gay candidate in the race, took shots at the absent Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Democratic Party fundraiser who has loaned his campaign $10 million.

"Phil Murphy is buying this election," Binetti said to a smattering of applause from the crowd of about 50. "He is spreading his money wherever he can ... to bump out everyone else on this stage behind us."

Binetti tied Murphy to the state's last Democratic governor, Jon Corzine, also a former Goldman Sachs executive. Wisniewski, D-Sayreville, made the same connection while urging the audience not to select an outsider in an effort "to clean things up."

"Jon Corzine, our first Goldman Sachs governor, ran 12 years ago saying, you know what, I'm an outsider, elect me, I'll make New Jersey better," Wisniewski said. "And he did such a good job that four years later we put Chris Christie in."

"Just because they come from Goldman Sachs is not a detriment," he said. "I really believe that you need somebody like Ambassador Murphy to come in and have a new perspective ... I don't rule out somebody just because they have wealth."

Last night's questions included some on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-specific issues like gay teen homelessness, along with broader questions about school funding, how the state will deal with possible repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act and gerrymandering.

The Democrats, seated on a stage in front of the American, New Jersey and gay pride flags, repeatedly slammed President Trump and were met with healthy applause from the crowd every time.

"It's interesting by the way, the 10th Amendment now we will have to use, it's been used by conservatives against civil rights, we will now have to use it for our rights to stop Donald Trump," Lesniak said. "We're going to be very active using the 10th Amendment saying, we decided what the public safety of our residents are."

Regarding the possible repeal of the ACA, also known as Obamacare, Johnson said the state is "in a world of hurt" if Trump and Congressional Republicans follow through with their pledge to repeal the controversial healthcare law. If the law is repealed, he said, New Jersey must step in with funding to keep anyone from losing their insurance.

New Jersey Democrats must "mount a very, very strong defense, much stronger than we have right now," he said. "We cannot have 800,000 people in New Jersey losing their health care."